Beijing has asked taxi drivers to keep only one hail-a-taxi app on their cellphones, to ensure safe service, according to the Beijing Commission of Transport.

The smartphone apps that have helped commuters hail taxis in the capital have also made taxi drivers scramble for customers and resulted in unsafe rides as drivers check the apps in traffic.

The commission will jointly enforce investigation and supervision against the taxi drivers, together with the Beijing Transport Law Enforcement Corps recently.

It is necessary for taxi drivers to ensure driving safety, it said.

However, many riders and taxi drivers said it was not the government's business to control what hail-a-taxi apps are installed on drivers'phones.

“If you don't use the apps you will lose out,” said Sheng Guangren, a Beijing cab driver. “It doesn't seem like the government's scope of work to see what apps we have on our smartphones.”